Chef Alex Hall offers tips on how to make this Thanksgiving more bottom-friendly than ever

Alex Hall has made bottoming his life’s work. A self-proclaimed “butt and gut recipe developer, body autonomy activist, raunchy video host, husband, and sex educator”, he’s the founder of The Bottom’s Digest, an online resource for foodies who like to get penetrated.

What started as a passion project two years ago has quickly grown into a brand with over 100K followers on Instagram and over 200K followers on TikTok. He also makes appearances on podcasts and partners with other brands to promote healthy eating and sex positivity.

We caught up with Hall ahead for tips on how to make this year’s Thanksgiving feast and festivities more bottom-friendly than ever. Here’s what he had to say…

QUEERTY: First things first, do you ever get tired of talking about bottoming?

HALL: Never! I don’t get tired of talking about bottoming because we have decades of silence to make up for. That silence, typically fueled by stigma and shame, is how we found ourselves starving and over-douching just to bottom in the first place.

It’s my life’s mission to break down bottoming barriers in a fun and educational way for people to prioritize their health and pleasure rather than give in to toxic misinformation they overheard in the bathroom at a club.

I’m truly blown away every time someone shares with me how much this information has changed their lives, whether inside or outside of the bedroom. It’s not about me, it’s about the health and pleasure of everyone in our community. 

What are your plans for the Thanksgiving holiday?

For the first time in years, I won’t be cooking. I’m grateful for the break but I’m worried about my lactose intolerance. Thankfully, I’ll have plenty of psyllium husk powder on me to keep things moving along! 

Is there a good, crowd-pleasing, bottom-friendly holiday appetizer you recommend people bring to their Friendsgiving gatherings?

My grandma is an awful cook. This is not even gossip, she’s fully aware. The only thing she would make every Thanksgiving was these super bare-minimum enchiladas that haunt me to this day with their baby food texture. But those enchiladas had a silver lining: My mom would always bring queso and chips (alongside a real Thanksgiving spread) to compliment my grandma’s “main dish.”

Over time it became our tradition to have chips and queso at Thanksgiving. My mom’s queso is what inspired The Bottom’s Digest cheese sauce which is a staple for our  many other holiday dishes like our lobster mac and cheese and potatoes au gratin. I know chips and queso aren’t very traditional, but that, to me, is what makes Friendsgiving so iconic. There are no rules and you get to create the traditions.  

Last year you warned us to avoid anything cream-based if we wanted to have a bottom-friendly Thanksgiving. Are there any other foods or food groups we might want to avoid?

The great thing about 2023 is that it’s easier than ever to make your favorite dairy-fueled recipes dairy-free. You can use my cheese sauce recipe as a foundation for some of your favorite cheesy recipes or buy dairy-free products to make a dairy-free pumpkin pie like we did at The Bottom’s Digest. Now I’m not saying any of this is A+ healthy food. We still want these dishes to feel like comfort food. Simply making them dairy-free will make things easier on your gut and, in turn, your butt.

When it comes to avoiding other foods, cruciferous vegetables are a major culprit for some people. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower can make you gassy and bloated all day—so if you’re looking to be stuffed like the turkey this Thanksgiving, you may want to take it easy on the maple-glazed Brussels sprouts.

Another culprit to keep an eye out for is fried food. These can kick you in the gut pretty quick if you have a sensitive stomach—and if you have IBS, they could send you running to the bathroom in no time. Try air-frying the onions for your green bean casserole and you’re already one step closer to a bottom-friendly version. 

For anyone planning on getting plowed on Thanksgiving, when is the best time to douche? Before dinner? After dessert? Some other time?

At The Bottom’s Digest we talk about trigger foods all the time. Trigger foods are the foods that your individual body doesn’t agree with. For example, dairy and broccoli are major trigger foods for me. If I eat broccoli, I know I’m going to feel bloated and gassy and that’s going to lead to painful bottoming. No thanks! I say all that because I recommend douching before you eat.

Get it out of the way so you get to kick back and enjoy the holiday. However, it’s up to you to navigate trigger foods throughout your day. Because of your gastrocolic reflex, you’ll know if you need to poop 30-60 minutes after eating or drinking. If you already had a bowel movement today and you’ve douched (but not over-douched), you’re ready to go for hours afterwards, maybe even the full day.

But if you eat trigger foods after douching, you’re going to be too uncomfortable to bottom. And douching isn’t going to do a thing to cure you of your gas and bloating. 

What advice do you have for tops on Thanksgiving?

Be thankful! Isn’t that what this f*cking holiday is about? You’re getting ass on a holiday that centers around comfort food—you better give some gratitude and lovin’ to the one who’s giving it up.

And be kind! Sh*t literally happens every day. No matter how much the person who is bottoming preps, accidents can always happen. Be prepared to be supportive and flexible. The person bottoming has an accident? Ask them what you can do to help. Grab a towel. Move sexy time to the shower. Pivot to foreplay.

Whatever makes the person bottoming feel more comfortable and keeps them in the mood is your main objective. Accidents are bound to happen and if you’re shaming because of a little bit of poop, maybe penetrating a butt isn’t for you.